Permit Required Confined Spaces

What obligations does the host employer have when they hire a contractor to work within one of their Permit-Required Confined Spaces (PRCS)? The answer seems to be all over the map, depending on the industry where the space is located, the size of the company, the company’s written program, etc. This article is intended to…...

This week I received this e-mail from a long-time SAFTENG member.  Mike is a safety pro in the construction industry and he is trying to comply with OSHA’s new Confined Spaces in Construction, specifically, Mike has learned the hard-way that “rescue plans” can not be the proverbial “911 Rescue Plan”.  Here is Mike in his…...

No fewer than 60 fatal and non-fatal cases were documented in 2016. Of these, 30 (50%) were fatal and 29 (48%) of those cases were directly related to grain entrapments. In addition to the cases documented in 2016, cases that occurred in previous years continue to be added to the database due to ongoing discovery efforts. The total…...

The IRSST (Canada) just published a new research report to contribute to confined space accident prevention by helping companies apply existing regulations. Researchers wanted to gain a better understanding of confined space risk management and identify issues based on the literature and field observations, and develop a confined space risk analysis and work categorization tool…...

So what exactly does OSHA mean when they say… Develop and implement the means, procedures, and practices necessary for safe permit space entry operations, including, but not limited to, the following:…1910.146(d)(3)(iii) Isolating the permit space It is not uncommon to find spaces entered with NO isolation of the space and there tends to still be…...

Back when OSHA was writing their Permit-Required Confined Space standard (1910.146) their review of accident data indicated that most confined space deaths and injuries were caused by atmospheric hazards.  And yet, still today, we see entrant, attendants, and entry supervisors; and even safety personnel, not understanding the atmospheric hazards associated with PRCSs.  I hope to…...

This is an AWESOME example how technology is IMPROVING process safety and personnel safety!  Many thanks to KR for sharing this with us…. Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

This Alert highlights the risks associated with maintenance work in a confined space, such as a storage tank that has an internal floating roof, and suggests control measures to address these risks. Background In a recent incident at a major hazard facility (MHF), the internal floating roof of a storage tank collapsed down to the…...

 … Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...

At approximately 9:45 a.m. on November 4, 2016, Employee #1, wearing a full face respirator, opened the hatch of ETS tanker T442 to initiate cleaning. It contained residue from hazardous waste. Employee #2 witnessed Employee #1 bend over the hatch area on top of the trailer as he walked by. As Employee #2 continued along…...

OSHA responded to a report of unsafe working conditions May 17, 2016, after two employees lost consciousness and collapsed. The workers were exposed to hazardous gas while entering a sewer system. OSHA investigators found the company allowed the workers inside a confined space without having tested the space for hazards. OSHA issued citations for six…...